Kukla's Korner Hockey

But this move comes with collateral damage. For one, hockey fans in Atlanta are burned again—once by the Flames, now by the Thrashers. Those who invested their time and money and hearts in hockey are left wondering why the NHL didn’t fight for them like they have so many other hockey markets in the States.

There are also those who invested more than their fandom. They invested their careers, their livelihood.

For so many around the NHL, the Thrashers became a punch line. Without support from ownership, it was nearly impossible to build a consistent winner and the play on the ice proved it. Fans’ apathy reflected the annual slide in the standings.

Yet, there were still plenty of people who wore a Thrashers logo with pride. Guys like Inar Treiguts, a Latvian native who has been the Thrashers’ massage therapist since their first season. He’s a guy who always met the media with a huge smile and a greeting of “Hello, journalists!” before working the kink out of a player’s shoulder. What’s next for him?

Or a guy like Bobby Stewart, who served as an equipment manager on not one, but two Atlanta hockey teams.